The Jolt: Emory researchers say Sinclair acquisitions come at the expense of local TV news
Two Emory University researchers say they've found evidence that the nationalization of local TV news stations, represented by the rapid expansion of conservative conglomerate owner Sinclair Media Group, is a "worrisome" trend that could come at the expense of local news coverage.
Gregory Martin, an assistant professor of political science, and Joshua McCrain, a grad student, said they analyzed the content of 7.5 million video segments produced by 743 local news stations across the nation during the latter part of 2017, a period that coincided with Sinclair’s expansion.
Sinclair is the same chain that has come under recent criticism for its mandated editorial content, and mockery for its requirement that station anchors parrot an identical script decrying the "fake news" seen elsewhere.
You can read a draft of the Emory University paper here – some polishing still needs to be done,Martin told us this morning. Yet the two researchers say it is safe to conclude that the Sinclair acquisitions produce:
-- "Substantial increases in coverage of national politics at the expense of local politics,
-- "A significant rightward shift in the ideological slant of coverage and
-- "A small decrease in viewership….."
The researchers said the 25 percent increase in national politics that accompanied the acquisitions came “largely at the expense of coverage of local politics.”
But the resulting drop in viewership may be a price Sinclair is willing to pay. From their paper:
"There are very clear economics of scale for a conglomerate owner in covering national as opposed to local politics, thanks to the ability to distribute the same content in multiple markets. Given that the ratings penalty we document is fairly small, it seems likely that these cost efficiencies dominate in Sinclair's calculus."
"…Even if viewers would prefer locally-tailored politics content, the fact that politics coverage is bundled with other kinds of content – crime reporting, weather, sports and son – that are less affected by consolidation mutes the demand response."
According to the Sinclair website, the company owns five local TV stations in Georgia: Two in Albany, one in Macon, and two in Thomasville.
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This should be a sight to see: Gov. Nathan Deal has ordered state offices on Capitol hill closed on Monday to accommodate the march planned by the King Center to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. The governor will join members of the King family and others at Liberty Plaza, where the "Love for Humanity" march ends. The governor has also ordered that flags will fly at half-staff for the event.
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With Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue chugging across the Midwest as part of his latest RV farm tour, the Union of Concerned Scientists is out with a new 27-page report detailing why they think the former Georgia governor has been a "betrayal" to his department's mission. The science advocacy group argues that Perdue's "actual record of policy decisions has favored ideology over expertise and the interests of the Big Ag lobby over that of the majority of America's 2 million farmers—and of all of us who eat." The report cites his decisions to roll-back Obama-era regulations on school lunches and the legal rights of contract chicken farmers, the since-stymied nomination of a talk radio host to the department's chief science position and efforts to overhaul the food stamp program, among others.
Perdue’s folks vehemently disagree. They see him as a conduit between farmers and the Trump administration, communicating what rural America wants to see on big-ticket items like trade, immigration and government regulations.
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In an early morning post, we told you that Secretary of State Brian Kemp has unloaded a harsh attack on Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle with a letter to the National Rifle Association, warning that the gun rights organization is "getting played" in the race for Georgia governor.
The timing is no accident. Candidates have been asked to submit their positions on specific gun rights issues to the NRA by the end of the week – for endorsement purposes.
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The Washington Post is highlighting a meeting of the Griffin city council that occurred late last month. A taste:
The tense exchange between the two men happened on the same day that the Atlanta suburb of Griffin, Ga., declared April as Confederate History Month. While speaking about the declaration during the public comments portion of the meeting, Larry Johnson, a former member of the board who is white, immediately turned his attention to Rodney McCord, who appears to be one of two black officials at the table.
What began as harmless reminiscing of their differences back when they were serving as city officials together quickly escalated when Johnson reminded McCord of a conversation he said they once had about race.
"I told you at that time that there were white folks, and there were black folks when I was growing up," Johnson said, speaking to McCord from the podium. "There was white trash — my family — and there was n—–town. I lived next to n—–town."
This is the part where you roll your eyes and sigh.
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A first set of debates for 2018 candidates for governor has been announced by the Atlanta Press Club and Georgia Public Broadcasting. The two Democratic candidates will face off at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 15, one week before the primary election. Republican candidates will debate at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 17.
The confrontations will be aired live statewide, but will also be livestreamed on Facebook, YouTube, and at GPB.org. Click here to see the debate schedule for other statewide offices.
About the Author
Jim Galloway, the newspaper’s former political columnist, was a writer and editor at the AJC for four decades.
